Residential Gate Opener Troubleshooting

Picture this. You have had a new gate installation done a couple of years ago. You’re already late for work or an appointment. You pick up the gate clicker for the driveway gate opener and the gate doesn’t respond. Your game plan should be kicked off with a call to a maintenance service. If you have the time and interest, some minor troubleshooting can be done in the meantime. Knowing some basic troubleshooting may help you understand what the service person is doing to find the problem, which gives you a better understanding of what is going on. However, do not attempt to make any repairs yourself. Allow trained technicians to take care of that for you.

Finding the Problem, Not Fixing it

Again, do not attempt any driveway gate repair. These troubleshooting ideas are only to possibly identify an issue while waiting for the technician or so you will have a better understanding of how the system works. The market is flooded with a plethora of electric gate systems. Only very general troubleshooting will be given here.

With the scenario above, an electric gate sometimes will not budge, or even make a sound. This could be simply a power issue. Check the breaker box to see if electric to the opener is flowing. Check nearby outlets as well. Also, check the gate remote. How long has it been since the battery was last changed?

Another common problem is the electric gate not closing. The first place to look is the gate exit sensor. Dirt or debris may be covering the photoelectric eye. The gate may not be registering that the path is clear. The eye picks up on an obstruction and won’t close.

Or, maybe your gate won’t stop in the place it should. The problem here is a “limit nut” or “cam” must be adjusted so that the nut is hitting the limit switch at the correct spot. Again, do not try to do this repair yourself, as it can either further damage your gate or even get you hurt. For any further assistance you can always call Gate Repair Aliso Viejo.